Welcome to Homesteading with Hyacynth! Homesteading with Hyacynth is a monthly look at ways to lead a healthy, greener, more sustainable life. My intent with Homesteading with Hyacynth is to offer genuine, practical experiences and humorous and helpful tips. Of course, I am not a medical professional so these are my tips and what worked for my family.
Homesteading with Hyacynth
It’s about this point in the winter where I’m so over snow and cold that I could honestly be talked into trading in the house for a van by the sea on the beach.
Almost.
However, Husband isn’t the nomad type, and, truth be told, I can only live off of fish and coconuts for so long, so we remain grounded here in Lake County despite the seemingly forever-long winters. {Plus other boring details like jobs and such.}
I find reprieve in a few thoughts when the calendar strikes mid-January and the thermometer spikes at 12 degrees: wool socks, warm boots, planning my garden, and greening up the house a bit more every year.
In February, I’ll share my garden plans, but today we’re going to talk about greening up the house in the most literal of terms: house plants.
Adding Houseplants to your Living Space
Why house plants? Here’s a few reasons:
- House plants clean the air.
{Entire article about how house plants cleanse our air} Despite having an in-house filter on the furnace, the air quality inside a home can border on moderately low to poor. House plants help cleanse the air, especially during the winter months when windows and doors are shut tight to keep homes warm. For example, Spider Plants have been shown to reduce the amount of formaldehyde, which off-gasses from furniture, varnishes, paints, and carpets, in the air. Other common toxins, like benzene, carbon dioxide, and xylene, are also neutralized by house plants like Spider Plants, Peace Lilies, English Ivy, and Red-Edged Dracaena, to name a few. - House plants brighten a home and help reduce stress.
House plants are natural centerpieces and table decorations that naturally bring color and warmth into a home. I especially like to camp out near our plant table on grey, cold days and breathe in the beauty of nature while sitting in my living room, dining room, or kitchen. A few deep breathes for five minutes while admiring the beautiful blooms on our Peace Lily is often all I need to go from high strung to moderate or low stress. - House plants can be used for healing purposes.
Certain house plants are also quite functional too. The Aloe Vera plant, for starters, provides great burn care with its healing gel found instead of the leaves. Certain herbs can also be grown inside. They can be harvested for use in foods and teas. My favorite? Dill, cilantro, basil, and parsley. - House plants can be used for teaching purposes.
I love connecting the boys {and myself!} with the great outdoors when stuck inside the very sub-par indoors. Planting a new baby plant into a pot and tenderly caring for it helps us stay connected to the land while our garden {and our family} are hibernating!
My favorite house plants — easy to grow and maintain!
- Spider Plants
Beautiful, flowing, and productive, these plants are low maintenance and quickly produce babies you can replant in new containers when they are happy. - Peace Lily
Dark green and luscious while boasting beautiful white flowers several times per year, Peace Lilies are great starter plants that thrive well in most environments. - English Ivy
On my wish list for this winter, English Ivy is beautiful and flows gently over the side of hanging baskets. An excellent plant for beauty and air quality!
Do you have houseplants? Which is your favorite? Also, are you looking forward to planting a garden this spring? What do you want to know about planning one now?
by Hyacynth Worth
Hyacynth Worth is a wife to John and a mother to three boys and three girls. She writes about motherhood, healthy living, and faith. She is a local writer and the author of Homesteading with Hyacynth. She promises to be candid, amusing, and only slightly neurotic. Most of the time.
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